V I D E O • A G E 16 NO V E M B E R/ DE C E M B E R 2 0 0 8 A N T A L Y A F E S T R E P O R T days of business meetings and networking events. Buyers were present from such firms as Bavaria Film International, HBO Central Europe, Joint Entertainment, Kinowelt International, Maximum Films, Studio Canal, Kimmel International, Metrodome Distribution and Lighthouse Pictures, among others. The Eurasia Film Market offered up market screenings, meetings with highprofile professionals, as well as a video library. The event attracted 300 industry executives from 55 countries. Last October 10, movie stars of the caliber of Kevin Spacey, Mickey Rourke, Danny Glover, Michael York, Marisa Tomei and Matthew Modine left Hollywood and headed for Turkey, to the sea resort town of Antalya for the 45th annual Golden Orange Film Festival — Turkey’s longest-running cinema summit — which showcased 16 current Turkish films. The festival featured the fourth edition of the Golden Orange’s global gateway, the International Eurasia Film Festival, which is just a “flashy-named” Turkish Film Bazaar Mixes Star Power & Sales be planning 35 weeks of Turkish Cinema worldwide — hopefully beginning in Los Angeles. However, Turkish executives at the AFM in Santa Monica could not confirm such plans. It was not just star wattage, like the presence of Jacqueline Bisset, that made this year’s event memorable, but the intimate master classes taught by Spacey, Glover, Tomei and Modine, all of whom stole the show. In the case of Maximillian Schell, best known in Turkey for his lead role in 1964’s Topkapi, even old Hollywood stories came alive. A vast selection of international fare (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) prize for best Asian film. Honorary awards went to Spacey, Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct), Schell, York and Zbigniew Preisner. The top prize in the international section (Eurasia) went to Karim Dridi’s Khamsa, while Japan’s Hirokazu Koreeda won the best director award for Still Walking. Prizes were awarded by an international jury led by Verhoeven and included Chinese-born actress Joan Chen. This story was compiled from various dispatches. was matched with local features that had been responsible for the recent surge in popularity of Turkish films. Best film winner The Market-A Tale of Trade from British director Ben Hopkins, was shot in Turkey with a Turkish cast. Market’s Tayanç Ayaydin won the award for best actor, while Nurgul Yesilcay won the best actress prize for Conscience. In addition, Turkish filmmaker, Ferzan Ozpetek, who resides in Italy, presented his Italian movie, Un Giorno Perfetto. The best director award went to Turkey’s Dervis Zaim for Dot, about a man who goes against the laws of God in order to help a friend. Other award winners included Ozcan Alper’s Autumn, which took home the NETPAC sideshow of the main event, and which constitutes the international competition, with 12 titles. During the 10-day Festival, the international stars mingled with Turkish stars on the shores of the Mediterranean, where continents and cultures collided for red carpet galas nearly every night. The event ended with a ceremony that revealed the 11 winners of the Golden Orange trophies. There were also two sidebar events held during and after the festival. The third edition of the Eurasia Film Market, which started October 10, was considered satisfactory by participating companies. Hosted at the Hillside Su Hotel, the market welcomed buyers and sellers from around the globe for three And at the very successful second annual Eurasia Production Platform (EPP), which began on October 22, producers from New Zealand, Taiwan, Mainland China as well as France, Germany and Turkey, were on hand to encourage co-productions, as well as to provide participants with an opportunity to meet with representatives of highquality projects looking for international audiences. As noted by EPP director Deniz Ziya Temeltas, “it seems that Antalya was the perfect venue to bring projects so dear to Turks.” Reportedly, four major co-production deals were signed on the spot. To further underline Antalya’s importance, Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ertugrul Gunay, is said to Marisa Tomei was one of the stars in attendance Pictured above is Kevin Spacey on the red carpet Below: Antalya’s grand jury, presided over by Paul Verhoeven
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